Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-05-28
aEDMUND UDONOVAN.
~ IRISH JOURNALIST WHO MADE
HIMSELF FAMOUS.
0kstch Of Man Whose Exploits Would
Ern volumes-Begaa Life as "a Medical
Cess rs = Correspondent.


who occupied, for more than quarter Of a
century, the char of Celtic language and lit
erature III Trinity college, OF the University
Of Dublin. The father. like most Of the old
fashioned students, was 81 absorbed in his
books that his sous allowed to read
think, and do pretty much what they pleased
sud 10 select their own courses in life Ed
muud, the eldest child, after fashionable
and precarious attendance upon compulsory
lectures with his college CLASSIFY which We
mean that ne went late and left early-jointd
the medical school and soon became interested
IN surgery, in which he might well have at
tanned the highest eminence. But like Win
wood Reade. nephew Of the great novelist
who Was regarded the most promising
young surgeon Of his time in bartholomew 5
hospital, ODonovsn preferred the excite
nent Of travel and adventure To all the glory
or crucial operations" Geology and botany
had also peculiar attractions for him, and his
accurate knowledge Of those subjects formed
a valuable adjunct to his correspondence
from the east when discussing the nature
OF the territory which interviewed he
tween Russia and British India and
which seems now destined to be the hattie
field for European empire in Asia How
ever our traveller possessed in extraordi-
nary degree another accomplishment without
which his other gifts were practically useless
for the puri.nse he had in view He spoks.
and wrote nuently the French, German and
Spanish languages, and when be had made
up bis mind about journey to Asia, he found
little difficulty IN becoming usefully familiar
with the Turkish and Russian language, ana
with various dialects Of central Asia His
capacity for mastering oriental languages
proved TO he his most valuable accomplish
ment, and in this respect no English news
paper correspondent has ever been his equal
When u very youthful college student,
DDonovan became an active member of the
fenian brotherhood, and frequently, when
academic duties required his presence IN the
city, the ferSid Nationalist was swearing
IN recruits throughout the country districts
by day, or drilling and exhorting them III
some barn or on the hillside after nightfall
He Was born orator and agitator, and
James Stephens, his guide and hfeioag
friend. has described him as altogether the
most variousiy gifted young man Of bis ar-
quaintance. When Stephens the leader Of
the Fenian movement in Great Britain,
escaIed from the Dublin prison and took UP
his residence in Paris, young O'Donova an
Joined him frum time to time and with
tongue and pen and as much purse as he could
command helped TO keep the national spirit
lively" Upon the outbreak Of the Franco
Prussisn war UDonovan joined a French
regiment as private soldier, and after a few
days WAS promoted to a captaincy for dis
tinguished military capacity and conspicuous
galantry upon the battle held He was
taken prisoner and confined in q German
fortress, but was enabled to make an early
escape by the assistance OF his janitor's
daughter. When the Carlists and lntran-
sigentes created disturbance iir Spain O'Dono-
van went cut to that country as correspond
ent Of some English and Irish journals and
special artist of The London Graphic After
seeing service Oh both sides during this
guerrilla warfare be returned to England and
elaborated project, upon which be had
bestowed much thought, for the discovery of
Rrssian aims and progress in central Asia
His plans, submitted to The Daily News, were
favoIably received, and his book on the
.Merv Oasis" which has run through several
editions in this country, emboiies the results
of his experience first set forth in the
columns Of his paper.
| WAS III London when O'Donovan returned
from Merv. After quite an effort to reach him,
"a friend and myself succeeded in finding him
di Tue oHfe VI luc bdliN Jews we IOuDG
him TO Ice a foreign looking gentleman of
medium height, with handsome features,
sparkling eyes, long dark brown mustache
and beard, and clothed cap-a pie in sealskin
trimmed with fur. On my being introduced
10 oDonoyan we went out into the Fleet
street night and crossed over to Anderton's
hotel, where We engaged a private room and
sat till morning, listening to the stories Of
~,
Ia lie humSr and exquisite finish.
The room was somewhat cold when we
catered and o Donovan wore his overcoat for
bout ali hour after the conversation had
commenced As he warmed to his work of
narration he frequently put his hands into
the pockets of this coat and produced rings,
diamonds, canoes, curios. crosses, trinkets
and valusbles of various kinds to illustrate
his different themes.
All were souvenirs and each was connected
with some affaire d'amour ou d'honneur
some interview with eastern or European
potentate, or with persons Of some special
intellectual elninence Some were tokens of
.sgard from Arab or Turcoman chieftains
whose tribes had received assistance from the
arms or advice of stranger who entertained
no deeply rooted aDtipathy ~ a square"
fight of any description 1t may seem little
strange that ODonovan should have carried
all these valuabes in a coat pocket, but his
movements at the time were uncertain and
ne retained the treasures about his person
merely to amuse the friends who had known
him when there were few precious jewels in
his pocket, however msny may have been
carried in bis brain
As he leaned his elbows on the table and
related his oriental experience, punctuating
each story with graceful movements of his
delicate white hands, it was difficult to realize
that the speaker had been an important part
of the stirring events which he quietly de
scribed. The features and expression OF .hat
peculiarly handsome face were murh more
those Of an artist quiet student than Of s:r-
intrepid corr respondent, who, conspiriuos.
soldier and Traveller, had carried his life III
his hands for many Years, without q thought
except To do some new thing for the benefit
Of Il cause in nhlrh Er strongly believed Or
20 find important uil"gmation for his news
paper.
His manner WAS agreeably-we might Say
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and polite; his Voice
WAS rich, soft and meloiious and found ex-
preston in deprecating tones, with a hspinG
imy+diment at some words which added con-
sidaTably to the appearance of truth and real
ity in all his stories.
Ned - said his old ally "the last time We
saw ANYTHING about You was in The Graphic, .
few days since, when two of your own sketches
appeared, one representing you as all Arab /!
sbeik, chibouk, flowing white garments and !
all, and the other had you at dinner in jail |
of Constantinople, surrounded by a motley |
crowd How did you manage to find the
Arab garments and the prison dinner on